CASH should be allocated to restarting the alleygating programme in Middlesbrough, according to a town councillor.

Middlesbrough Council has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds installing alley gates in some areas of the town.

But Councillor Joe Michna, a Green Party representative for Park ward, said there were still some areas where residents wanted gates installed.

He said when the council had around £350,000 to spend on town centre activities and on installing a big screen, it should consider spending cash to help residents improve their local neighbourhood.

But Cllr Barry Coppinger, executive councillor for community protection, defended the council’s spending on environmental services.

Cllr Michna has campaigned in the past for gates in the Park ward and many alleyways are now gated.

But he said there were still areas on the east side of Linthorpe Road where residents had requested alley gates, including between Westminster Road and Park Road South and Haymore Street and The Avenue.

He said he had been told the council had no more funding for alley gates.

Cllr Michna said: “The decision to spend some £350,000 on the town centre and a big screen which nobody has asked for is a huge kick in the teeth for some of the residents I represent.

“It is terribly unfair to begin an alley gate installation programme which residents have supported and benefited from and then just stop the programme even through other local residents have not yet had the benefit of alley gates.”

Cllr Coppinger said: “There has been some discussions within the community council and with the other Park Ward councillor Frances McIntyre and community protection staff around improving the environment and safety in some of the alleyways in Park Ward.”

He said as the council’s capital programme was heavily over-subscribed it was unlikely the alley gate programme could be extended. He said another option for councillors is the council’s Capital Small Schemes project.